Grain heater and drier.



No. 804,977. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

' P. PROVOST.

GRAIN HEATER AND DRIER.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 26.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

GRAIN HEATER AND DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed June 26, 1905- Serial No. 266999.

To @ZZ roh/1711, 7125 m/rtg/ concern:

Be it known that I, PETER PRovosT, a citi- Zen of the United States, .residing at Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Grain Heater and Drier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices Jfor heating and drying grain of that-type in which a plurality of grain-passages extend through a casing or chamber, in which latterva circulation of live steam is maintained for the purpose of heating the grain-passages, and thus heating and drying the grain passing therethrough. Y

The present invention has for its object to provide improved grain-passages of a peculiar construction which has in practice been found suiiicien't for the purpose of agitating and overturning the grains passing therethrough, to the end that said grains shall be thoroughly and uniformly exposed to the heating and drying action which results from contact with the walls of the passages.

Another object is to simplify the construction oi' the tubular members serving as grainpassages.

Further objects are to promote the simplicity of construction and the durability and eiiciency of the device as a whole.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, thesame consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination oi' parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood'that changes and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a grain heater and drier constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the tubular grain-passages.

Corresponding parts in both figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

In the form of the invention herein illus-' trated, 1 designates a cylindrical casing having at its upper end an expanded or funnel-shaped inlet 2, the lower end of said casing being provided with a downwardly-contracted discharge-funnel 3. The casing is provided near its upper and lower ends with diaphragms t 5, the space between which constitutes a livesteam chamber having an inlet 6 and an outlet 7 through which circulation oil steam may be maintained in any convenient manner, valves being usually provided for the purpose of regulating the iiow of steam, said valves being, however, not shown.

The diaphragms 4 and 5 are provided with apertures 8 9, which are connected by tightlytting pipes or tubes l0, of which any desired number may be used, .said tubes being placed moderately close together. These tubes n constitute the grain-passages, andtheir upper and lower ends are securely connected with the diaphragms in such a manner as to preclude all possibility of leakage of steam. The pipes or tubes 10 are preferably made oi' drawn metal, such as brass or copper, and of anysuitabledimensions. Eachoi'saidtubesis provided at suitable intervals with annular grooves orindentations 11, whereby the metal is upset inwardly, so as toi'orm internal annular ribs or hoops 12, which act in the nature of obstructions to the passage of grain through the said tubes or passages. As will be seen, each of the tubular passages may thus be described as being made up of a plurality of cylindrical chambers having constricted lower ends, whereby-the flow of grain will not only be interrupted, but the grain will be agitated and the individual grains will be overturned by the passage through the succession of chambers, so that practically the entire surface of each grain will be exposed to the heating and drying ini'luences resulting from direct contact with the walls ofthe tubes or passages.

The construction of this improved grain heater and drier is, as'will be seen, extremely simple, and practical experience has proven it to be thoroughly eiiicient for the purposes i'or which it is designed. The operation of the device is well understood, and it consists in simply causing the grain which is to be operated upon to iow through the tubes or passages while live steam circulates through the steam-chamber, the temperature being obviously capable of regulation by well-known means, which have, however, not been shown. It may also be found desirable to provide the casing with valves for the purpose of regulating the iiow oi' the grain; but such valves do not form a part of the present invention, and they have' not been shown in the drawings.

IOO

dentations forming interior annular ribs or IO hoops.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed by signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

PETER PROVOST.

Witnesses:

CHAs. L. BoRsT, EDMoND VERSTRAETE. 

